About Ben Goymour
Learn about Ben Goymour, a contemporary UK artist known for bold, emotive paintings and limited edition prints. Discover the story, passion, and vision behindthe artwork.
A life rebuilt, one brushstroke at a time
I was born in Peterborough in 1985 and joined the Army at 16. Since a young boy, it was all I wanted to do, but it had to be the Army Commandos. Not the Marines, people get us mixed up. Army Commandos were formed under Churchill during the Second World War to be an elite force. The Royal Marines came later. We do the same training, wear the same Green Beret, and all serve together in 3 Commando Brigade, but the Army Commando is historic and that’s the path I chose.
I served with 29 Commando Regiment as a Bombardier, taking part in Arctic leadership training across three tours of Norway, and worked alongside the US Marines on Exercise Aurora. By the time I was 20, I was deployed to Afghanistan as a Section Commander, a huge responsibility at such a young age, but one I carried with pride.
After leaving the Army, I worked as a builder and carpenter. On the surface, I looked fine, busy, capable, hard-working, but mentally, I was struggling. Like many veterans, I carried things I couldn’t explain, and the noise in my head was constant.
"Painting what I can't put into words"
Afghanistan, Herrick 5
This was taken during my deployment as a Section Commander. I was 20 years old at the time.
Lake District, 2017
Photo taken on the day everything changed. I’d just finished a hike and felt calm for the first time in a long time.
In 2017, after a hiking trip in the Lake District, everything changed. My wife and I had spent a lot of time up there over the years; it was the only place I truly felt free from the noise in my head. Being high up on the remote fells gave me a sense of peace I couldn’t find anywhere else.
During that trip, we wandered into a few galleries. I wanted something on my wall to remind me of that feeling when I couldn’t be there, but nothing quite captured the atmosphere I was after, and even if it had, we couldn’t have afforded it. So I said, “I’ll paint something myself.”
Kerry literally laughed in my face, and to be fair, I don’t blame her. It was a funny moment. But she was supportive too. I went out and bought some paints and brushes, completely the wrong ones because I had no idea what I was doing. But I loved it. It gave me something to focus on, and most importantly, it distracted me from everything else.
Turns out, I thought I was just buying paint. I was actually buying a whole new life.
The day everything changed
So I Painted a Bit. Then a Lot. Then Every Day
The first painting was awful, of course, but Kerry told me it was amazing for a first attempt. She saw straight away that painting had changed something in me. I was calmer. More focused. It gave me peace. So it became her mission to keep me going. She said, "Just paint! Don’t worry about anything else." I’d get up in the early hours and paint before work, and then paint again all evening. Before long, it had become part of my daily life. A few months later, Kerry took a few pieces to a local gallery without telling me. They all sold.
February 2017
This photo was taken the very first time I picked up a brush. I love how in this captured moment, I had no idea what was about to unfold.
My First Painting, 2017
It was awful — but Kerry said it was amazing for a first attempt. That probably changed my life.
Wingates Gallery 2022
Ben Goymour Seascape Exhibition at Wingates Gallery - Market Harborough.
By 2021, I hung up my beloved Estwing hammer (it's actually now hanging on my studio wall as a memory) and ventured into art full time. Today, my originals are shown in galleries around the UK including the Lake District and collected internationally. I paint anything and everything, which I know is unusual, but I paint whatever draws me in or reflects how I’m feeling. I don’t follow one set style. Sometimes I work loosely and intuitively, other times with more control and detail. It all depends on the mood behind the piece.
My inspiration comes from my passion for nature and adventure. I spend a lot time in nature either wild camping, hiking where I spend hours studying how light falls across various landscapes, which has become the primary focus of seascape paintings, as I seek to portray a sense of feeling and mood which can only be experienced through actually being there in real life, creating that "you just had to be there" feeling
I don’t want my art to look like a photograph, even though it may appear that way with some pieces. I want it to feel like a painting, something that carries atmosphere, texture, emotion. A photo captures a moment. A painting lets you sit with it, feel it, and take something different from it each time you look. I want the viewer to feel something real, even if they can’t quite explain what it is.
This is the Part That Still Surprises Me
It is not a cure, but it is a lifeline
Painting has also helped me manage complex PTSD. This is something I have accepted I will always live with, but painting gives me space to breathe and quietens my mind. That is why I support Phoenix Heroes PTSD Veteran Support I donate original paintings to help raise funds and run art therapy days for other veterans. I know what it feels like to struggle, and I know how powerful it can be to find something that helps.
This was not a path I expected to take. But I am grateful for it every day. I still paint from the same place I did back then, quietly, honestly, and with a lot of heart. If something you see here speaks to you, then that means the most.
2025 Bens studio
With three animal commissions.
Whether you’re here to connect with the art, read my story, or just browse, I appreciate you taking the time to be here.
Best wishes
